A recent tragedy in Michigan's Thumb area brings forward the importance of safety while working on vehicles.
Christmas night, an 8-year-old was killed in Huron County's Bloomfield Township when a truck tire exploded while being inflated.
NBC25 talked to the experts about inflation safety.
Mark Kaiser, manager of the Vienna Township Kan Rock says, "Different vehicles, whether they be for performance cars or if they're sedans, they're going to handle different weight. The tire doesn't know how much the vehicle weighs, so they're going to call for different air pressure."
That's why it's important to know how much air pressure is proper for your vehicle.
The experts say you can't rely only on what the tires say.
A tire on Ford vehicle inside the shop said its maximum pressure is 44 pounds per square inch.
That doesn't mean it should be inflated that high.
Experts say the manufacturer's placard on the driver's side or under the hood is the best place to find out how much air pressure to put in your tires.
The same Ford recommends the tire pressure to be around 33 pounds per square inch, not 44 like the tire said.
Kaiser says, "If you put 44 pounds of pressure in this tire, you're going to be riding on the center part of the tire only. You want the full contact on the road."
Ever the experts who do this for a living everyday say even they can't tell how much pressure is inside a tire by simply looking at it. They say always use a tire gauge.
The experts say tire pressure can change in colder or warmer weather and also if you've been driving.
They recommend checking the pressure often because even one to two pounds of pressure over can wear out your tires faster and reduce traction.
The experts recommend having a tire gauge inside every vehicle and checking the pressure every time you fill up with fuel.
